Odessa Catacombs

The Odessa Catacombs are a network of tunnels that are on three levels, stretching out under Odessa, Ukraine and its surrounding region. The majority of the catacombs are the result of stone mining. The Catacombs reach a depth of 60 metres below sea level.

Most of the city's 19th-century houses were built of limestone mined nearby. These abandoned mines were later used and widened by local smugglers. This created a gigantic labyrinth of underground tunnels beneath Odessa, known as the "catacombs".

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These caves attract extreme tourists, who explore the tunnels despite the dangers involved. Such tours are not officially sanctioned because the catacombs have not been fully mapped and the tunnels themselves are unsafe. There have been incidents of people becoming lost in the tunnel network, and dying of dehydration or rockfalls.[1]

The approximate topography of the Odessa underground labyrinth is unknown. Only one small portion of the catacombs is open to the public, within the "Museum of Partisan Glory" in Nerubayskoye, north of Odessa.[2]

The city has a large population of over 1 million people, which some believe would benefit from the introduction of a subway system. The tunnels have been cited as the reason why such a subway system has never been built in Odessa.[2]

Most (95–97%) of the catacombs are former sandstone multilevel mines, from which stone was extracted to construct the city above. The remaining catacombs (3-5%) are either natural cavities, or were excavated for other purposes such as sewerage. As of 2012, there are more than 1000 known entrances to the tunnels.[1]

The first underground stone mines started to appear in the 19th century, while vigorous construction took place in Odessa. They were used as a source of cheap construction materials. Limestone was cut using saws, and mining became so intensive that by the second half of the 19th century, the extensive network of catacombs created many inconveniences to the city.

After the Russian Revolution of 1917, stone mining was banned within the central part of Odessa (inside the Porto-Franko zone, bounded by Old Port Franko and Panteleymonovskaya streets).

During World War II the catacombs served as a hiding places for Soviet partisans, in particular the squad of V.A. Molodtsev. In his work The Waves of The Black Sea, Valentin Kataev described the battle between Soviet partisans against fascist invaders, underneath Odessa and its nearby suburb Usatovo. In her book "Life from Stone", Sofiya de Havilland describes the catacombs and the part it played during WWII with the partisans' use of it in their guerilla warfare.

In 1961 the "Search" (Poisk) club was created in order to explore the history of partisan movement among the catacombs. Since its creation, it has expanded understanding of the catacombs, and provided information to expand mapping of the tunnels.

Since the beginning of the 21st century limestone mining has continued in the mines located in Dofinovka, Byldynka, and "Fomina balka" near Odessa. As the result of contemporary mining, the catacombs continue to expand.